Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra

Catalogue No: EWC1001

Each year, on the night before the first Sunday in Advent, music lovers gather in Vancouver, Canada for Elektra Women’s Choir’s anticipation of the Christmas season. This heartwarming concert touches on familiar melodies, new compositions and arrangements, audience participation, the voices of children, and the artistry of some of Vancouver’s finest instrumentalists and composers. Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra [pronounced: shay noo] is French for “at our house”, a phrase that Canadians understand well to mean hospitality and friendship.

This CD celebrates musical highlights of several years of Chez Nous, and reflects the mix of familiar touchstones and exciting new compositions that are the hallmark of the live concert. In addition to no fewer than six exciting new Canadian works and some of our favourite guest artists, we are pleased to re-release our 1997 recording with Rita Costanzi of Benjamin Britten’s timeless A Ceremony of Carols, a work Elektra continues to perform and delight in.

With A Touch of Brass; the British Columbia Girls Choir, Fiona Blackburn, Music Director; Rita Costanzi (harp); Sal Ferreras (percussion); Edward Henderson (guitar), Eric Hominick (piano, “Three in White”); Marlis MacAulay, flute; Jodi Proznick (acoustic bass); Stephen Smith, piano

Pieces on this Recording:

  1. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming Canadian Work Traditional German Stephen Smith (arr) 
  2. Star Song Canadian Work Edward Henderson
  3. Joys Seven Traditional English James Laster (arr) 
  4. Ceremony of Carols, A Benjamin Britten
  5. Da Pacem Canadian Work Jeffrey Enns
  6. Yorkshire Wassail Canadian Work Traditional English Stephen Smith (arr) 
  7. December Canadian Work Robert Buckley
  8. Three in White: A Suite of Songs about Snow Canadian Work Various Stephen Smith (arr) 
  9. Night of Silence Daniel Kantor

Canadian Work Legend Canadian Work